Consumption as Political Speech

Sor Juana knew that every act of writing, every choice of subject, every refusal to be silent was political. She wrote within constraints but always strategically, using her words to shift what was possible to think and say. This concept reframes consumption as similarly political: each purchase is a statement about what we collectively validate, resource, and legitimize. Buying from exploitative systems funds their continuation; choosing ethical alternatives allocates resources toward different values. However, Sor Juana would caution against naive optimism—individual purchases alone cannot dismantle unjust systems. Rather, consumption becomes meaningful when understood as one form of political participation among many: alongside advocacy, community building, and systemic critique. We consume politically when we're conscious of what our choices enable, align them with our stated values, and recognize their limits. Ethical consumption is intellectual work, requiring constant reflection on power and complicity.